Legislative panel endorses the Civil Servants (Amendment) Bill of 2024
Pakistani Senate Approves 'Assets Declaration Bill' for Senior Civil Servants
In a bid to promote transparency and accountability among high-ranking government officials, the Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat in Islamabad has given the green light to the "Civil Servants (Amendment) Bill, 2024". This new legislation demands that officers from Grade-17 and above disclose their assets, as well as those of their spouses and dependents, including foreign assets and liabilities.
Thursday's meeting, presided over by Senator Rana Mahmoodul Hassan at Parliament Lodges, provided the platform for this bill to be approved. The FBR has been delegated the responsibility of managing these disclosures, with the authority to make them public, while keeping a balance between public interest and personal privacy in mind.
Another crucial provision in the bill is the protection of sensitive information. This means that the national identity card numbers, residential addresses, and bank account details of these civil servants will remain confidential.
With the bill now law, civil servants will be legally obliged to disclose their assets. Senator Farooq H Naek, among others, praised the legislation, referring to it as a commendable piece of legislation. Senator Anusha Rehman from Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) also expressed her support for the bill.
The purpose of the amendment is to strengthen governance by ensuring thorough disclosure of financial interests. By doing so, the hope is to significantly reduce instances of corruption and illegal activities in the government.
While the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) is expected to play a role in the verification and public disclosure of these asset declarations – a role generally associated with the FBR – more specific details pertaining to its involvement are yet to be ascertained. To gain further insights into the role of the FBR and other aspects of the bill, additional official documents or official statements from relevant authorities would be necessary.
[1] Transparency International, "Corruption Perceptions Index 2023", Transparency International, 2023, [online] available at: https://www.transparency.org/en/cpi/2023/index/pak
[2] World Bank, "Pakistan," World Bank, 2024, [online] available at: https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/pakistan
- The approval of the Civil Servants (Amendment) Bill, 2024 in Pakistan seeks to foster greater policy-and-legislation-driven transparency and accountability, specifically by implementing an index of asset declarations for senior civil servants, which includes their assets, as well as those of their spouses and dependents.
- The bill also underscores the need for balancing public interest and personal privacy, as the FBR is responsible for managing disclosures while keeping sensitive information such as national identity card numbers, residential addresses, and bank account details confidential.
- By scrutinizing and publicizing asset declarations, this legislation aims to curb interests in corruption and illegal activities among high-ranking officials, aligning with general-news reports that highlight the importance of this shift in Pakistan's policy-and-legislation landscape.
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